Method of producing metallic vanadium



Patented Aug. 25, 1925;

ALBERT wrr'rm, or BERLIN, GERMANY.

mn'rnon or PRODUCING M TALLIC vanamum.

No Drawing.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Anni-cur \Vrrrtc, a citizen of Germany, and aresident'ot' Ber- ]in, Germany, have invented Improvements in Methods ofProducing Metallic Vanadium, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved method of producing vanadium andvanadium alloys from vanadic acid, ferric vanadat and other vanadiumcompounds.

The production of metallic vanadium from vanadic acid. ferric vanadateand several other vanadium compounds is -old and in particular themethod of manufacturing vanadium from the stated vanadium compounds bythermic reduction with the aid of aluminium is known to persons versedin the art as the so-called- Gold schmidt thermic method.- v

I have discovered, after much study and research, that I can greatlyimprove the aforesaid thermic reduction method and considerably increasethe output in vanadium thereof by treating the vanadium compound, priorto the reducing process or'any preliminary stages thereof, withsubstances, containing nitrogen preferably, with gaseous or liquidammonia-solution of ammonia-or with ammonium salts, and withoutoxidizing efforts, at an elevated temperature.

In some cases, especially if ammonium salts are employed I heat'amixture of a trituratcd vanadium compound and ammonium salt to a redheat, prior to the reducing operation and I then proceed in metalaccord--' the usual way to reduce the ing to the said thernnc method.

- As far as I see, probably vanadium nitrids Application filed May 7,1924. Serial No. 711,748.

form bytreating the vanadium compound with nitrogen containingsubstances. It has been found that by such reliinina-ry treatment theoutput in metal ic vanadium will increase by 14 p. c.

I have not attempted to explain all of the details of the methodof'reducing the vanadium compounds preliminarily treated with a nitrogencontaining substance, ac co'rding to my invention, for it will beunderstood by those, who are versed in the art and to whom thisspecification is addressed that the said method is practically carriedout in the usualway.

\Vhat I claim is 1, The method of producing metallic vanadium fromvanadium compounds,v consisting in treating the vanadium compound, at anelevated temperature, with substances, containing nitrogen and Withottoxidizing effort and subjecting the thus treated vanadium compound tothe known thermic reducing process. 2. The method of producing metallicva-. nadium from vanadium compounds, consisting in treating the vanadiumcompound, at an elevated temperature, with an ammonium compound, andsub'ecting the thus treated vanadium compoun to the knownthcrmicreducing process.

3. The method of producing metallic vanadium from vanadium compounds,con--' sisting in heating the vanadium compounds,

togetherwith an ammonium salt to a red 5 heat, and subjecting the thustreated vanadium compound to the known thermic reducing process. Intestimony whereof I have name'to this specification.

' ALBERT WITTIG.

signed my

